Status Updates From Lacan: Anti-Philosophy 3 (T...

This seminar is to Lacanian theory what Badiou calls counter-symbolization to the rush for symbolization. It is Lacanian theory's anxiety. And therefore needs to be studied thoroughly, even and especially in its impasses.

"A psychoanalyst who is happy with his act is a psychoanalyst beaten by the philosopher! He thought he was engaged in the analytic act, but he’s engaged in the philosophical act: he’s fulfilled, he has fulfilled himself."

So intense!

Session 7 is a pretty deep description of what Badiou sees as the direction, focus and goals of Lacanian analysis and the Analytic Act.

The sections covering how Lacan believes that philosophy plugs the holes of politics are stellar. It helps to have some familiarity with Lacan, but moving from the imaginary to the symbolic to the real during the discussion of this aspect was fascinating to think about.

Session 3 felt a little foggy with its discussion of absence, ab-sense and ab-sex sense. And I definitely had to remind myself of what Lacan is getting at by stating, "There is no sexual relationship." But it started to solidify by the end of the session, and then also included a really clear description of "The Pass" and how in Badiou's thinking it represents the ever-important "act" of Lacanian psychoanalysis.

I have not yet read Lacan's Seminar XX, but I must say that "yearsening" (a portmanteau or yearning and worsening) might be my new favorite Lacanian phrase and concept.

Honestly, I get nervous when I have too many books started at once, but so it goes. I picked this up to read the introduction last night and found I didn't want to put it down. Badiou's thoughts on anti-philosophy are very interesting, and I hope to eventually read his other books/seminars in the series (Nietzsche, Wittgenstein).